"As
a senior, this is what I live for," Perkins said, according to an Alabama news release. "I am very proud of our team.
This was big for us."

The 36 points equaled the fewest scored in SEC tournament history. Ole Miss set the record in 2008. Alabama tied it in 2011.

"The
players did a great job of doing what we asked them to do," Alabama coach Wendell Hudson said. "They were not ready to go home. We really played hard as
a team, played together and rebounded the ball well against a much taller
team."

The Crimson Tide (13-17) ended a 10-game losing streak and won its first game in the tournament since 2005.

It advances to a 1:30 p.m. CST game against No. 5 South Carolina.

Against a tight Alabama zone defense that double-teamed ball-handlers, the Bulldogs sank only 22.6 percent of their shots. It was their second-worst shooting performance this season.

Mississippi State had 20 turnovers and only 10 assists.

Junior
Jasmine Robinson had 10 rebounds,
nine points and five steals for the TIde.

Alabama, which went 2-14 in the SEC during the regular season, had not won since a 61-51 victory over Auburn on Jan.
24 at home. The Tide lost 75-51 on Feb. 21 at Mississippi State.